Cutting springs...

[grifterkid]

Hello to one and all...

I would like to give my Toledo a subtle drop just to make it ride a bit flatter and look a tad more purposeful. I was thinking one way of achieving this would be to cut a little bit off (a ring or two?!) of my springs...?!

If so can one of you fine people talk me through what I should and shouldn't do please? Obviously, if there is a thread for this already (which I bet there is) please do link me up...!!!

Thanks a million in advance...

[grumpy]

You will now get 10 people telling you its right and 10 people telling you it wrong .

[chairchild]

just search "cutting springs"


million and one threads on the subject

[VIP]

Feb 13, 2014 10:45:11 GMT grumpy said:

You will now get 10 people telling you its right and 10 people telling you it wrong .

Plus one person offering no useful input whatsoever.

retrorides.proboards.com/board/36/technical-bit?q=cutting+springs

OP - Have a read through some of those search results to educate yourself further.

[grifterkid]

Ta muchly...

[bl1300]

OP be aware that toledos and dolomites aren't brilliant cars for lowering by any method. There are a lot of vunerable bits that hang down quite low from the cars body that will scrape readily even at stock height. I agree they may look better slammed but if you want to use the car a lot bear that in mind.

[grifterkid]

I know that the Dolly/Tolly has vulnerable bits...!!! It is quite frustrating really as it does limit things somewhat in terms of 'lows'...

I only really want to drop it the slightest amount (maybe less than an inch?!) just to get it to sit a little better. It just needs to come down a tad.

[elmotheewokking]

Dropped mine about two inches on the nose, sagged out suspension on the rear. Even with the side exit exhaust it barely ever scrapes... Just go for it.

[ChasR]

That is a little strange. Even my stock Sprint required care over Bumps. Rob's (hoopsontoast) Sprint on lowered springs up front had the front subframe running fairly low (to use a jack on the car (under the subframe that is) required the car to driven onto wooden blocks to get it to rise up. The Dollys do look better for being lowered mind you .

If you are willing to take care on the roads then you should be fine truth be told. Even my Porker will scrape bits of the bottom on some cambered roads.

[beany]

Here's mine, need to do something about the shocks though as it's on its bumps tops :-(

[Copey]

Damn that sits well!

[grifterkid]

Beany, can you let me know how you went about chopping your springs please...?

I've been told that doing this to a Toledo (or Dolomite) is not ideal due to the type of spring used...?!

I just don't know what to do...

[beany]

mine aren't cut, I bought coil over springs from rally design but its bottomed out the front shocks and only about half inch of travel on the rear.




Going to see if I can get a pair of MGTF springs and shocks off a mate but I have a feeling they may be too short.

there's a pair mini classic rear coilovers about to finish on Ebay that look like they might fit but money's tight this month as I've just moved house so I've been outbid on them :-(

[beany]

If you do cut them and it turns out to be a problem I've got my originals here still that you can have, so you haven't a great deal to lose


NOW GET CUTTING

Just try and grind a flat onto the coil you cut so it has a bit of a flat to seat on, and cut the top as that sits in a rubber seat so wont slip as easy as the bottom coil

thinkng about it, I'm sure the rear springs are shorter than the fronts so u could try putting them in the front to level it up, then you won't have to worry about it not being right

[beany]

here's the standard front and rear ones together



reckon putting the shorter ones on the front should level it up a bit without the need to cut

[grifterkid]

I am going to need some rear springs...!!! What a great idea beany, thanks a million...

[beany]

Feb 17, 2014 17:21:57 GMT grifterkid said:

I am going to need some rear springs...!!! What a great idea beany, thanks a million...

Like I said, I've got a set here doing nothing, but they'd need to be picked up as I'm not organised enough to wrap n post stuff lol

[grifterkid]

Whereabouts are you based sir...?! I may not be able to collect them if you're too far but I don't mind paying for a bit of carriage...

*Also, are the rear springs slightly narrower than the fronts...? The fronts look a tad beefier as it were!

[beany]

Colchester, Essex

[Seth]

Putting those rear springs on the front will certainly lower the car but mostly down to the fact that they are clearly a much lower rate (with that obviously smaller wire diameter).

One advantage of cutting springs is that it does actually increase the rate of the spring a bit. Assuming the cups can take it, and the spring is located properly, cut front springs will be vastly better suited.